GUN AMNESTY: 39 handed in to be destroyed

A CAMPAIGN aimed at getting guns off the streets has seen 39 weapons handed in to Reading police, it has been revealed.

Yesterday was the final day for owners of illegal firearms to hand in their weapons as the national gun amnesty drew to a close.

Nearly 500 guns were handed to Thames Valley Police during the month-long scheme which was launched after the fatal New Year shootings in Birmingham of 18-year-old Charlene Ellis and her cousin 17-year-old Letisha Shakespeare.

Of these 124 were unlawful guns and 354 were legal guns.

Reading's 39 guns compares to 68 in North Oxfordshire, 71 in West Berkshire, 25 in Oxford and 24 in Milton Keynes.

Of the 39 handed in to Reading police, 15 were prohibited and 24 of those were legal.

The higher totals for guns in rural districts are thought to be down to a greater number of licensed weapons in the areas.

Superintentent George Wilson, head of Thames Valley Police's Tactical Support, said it was very "encouraging" to see so many guns in safe hands.

He said: "A significant amount of the weapons handed in were prohibited guns, such as hand guns, and these can now be destroyed so they will never fall into the wrong hands, be used in crimes, or fired by accident."

Also surrendered in the sweep up were 10,000 rounds of ammunition and 84 other weapons, such as knives.

Mr Wilson said the window of opportunity for giving up the weapons had closed and officers would not be turning a blind eye.

He added: "The response we have had to the amnesty suggests that our message is getting through. Illegally held guns were handed in while people had the chance. From now on there will be no more chances.

"We will coming down hard on those who hold firearms illegally."

Thames Valley Police said today that they were not discouraged by the number of guns netted in

the town, compared to the higher figures for many neighbouring districts.

A spokesman said: "Any result is encouraging and we're certainly not disappointed with the response from Reading.

"The more rural areas, particularly North Oxfordshire, had a lot more weapons handed in - but those were guns used for sport, so that would boost the numbers."

He added: "It's people who have guns for legitimate reasons, such as farmers, and for one reason or another they don't use or need them and have chosen to hand them in.

"But even things like that are worth handing in as they can get into the wrong hands - criminals can get hold of them or they can go off by accident."

Police say the final amnesty figures will be released tomorrow.

The scheme was announced ahead of the introduction of a minimum five-year sentence for people convicted of illegal possession of prohibited firearms.